The title contains a popular search engine query. But this article won't offer advice like "count to 10 and have a glass of water. "Let's talk about something else: why forcing yourself not to eat to lose weight is a bad idea and how to deal with your attitude towards food.
What's Wrong With Not Eating To Lose Weight?
Practicing psychologist: If you have a healthy attitude towards nutrition, then you are in touch with your body - you hear its signals and know how to negotiate with it. If the body signals hunger, you satiate it; satiety, you stop eating. The message "do not eat to lose weight" implies the breaking of this contact, the confrontation with oneself and the manifestation of self-aggression. It turns out that in order to achieve the goal (weight loss), you take action against yourself. It's not goodohdull and unhealthyohin.
Psychiatrist: Most people who have lost weight following a restrictive diet regain it within 1 to 2 years. In addition, 2/3 of them earn more than they lost.
Endocrinologist:The message to force yourself not to eat in order to lose weight is irrational. It is important to understand: what happens to the body? It may not be a question of poor diet, but of hormonal characteristics.
And what is it all about? A healthy attitude towards food?
Psychiatrist: This is when regular meals and snacks are not accompanied by anxiety, shame and guilt. Lack of "forbidden foods", weight loss diets and calorie counting. And when you allow yourself to enjoy the food.
Endocrinologist:It is about seeing food as a condition for a fulfilling and happy life. And not as a substitute for joy and pleasure.
Practicing psychologist: It is when you eat hungry, stop when you are full, do not focus on the faults in your body, which must be "corrected" by food or the refusal of it, when you do not eat too much, do not capture emotions.
Can you give him more details? How and why do we eat emotions?
Practicing psychologist: There are no good and bad emotions for the psyche, it can cope with them. She doesn't need food, alcohol, gadgets, or television for this. But there are situations when a person has drowned his emotions with food. Devastated, I ate a bowl of ice cream - it just got easier. Their behavior received positive reinforcement, and the person began to use this strategy over and over again.
Consulting psychologist:Often people overeat because they lack rest. Let me give you an example. A young woman had a problem: in the evening, she eats a lot and cannot stop. It turned out that she works for three, because she does not know how to refuse her colleagues. There's no time for a bite to eat: business all the time. And in the evening, she cannot eat. That is, a person exhausts himself, overwork himself, is constantly stressed. How to replenish the lost energy? Burger, potatoes, chocolate.
It turns out that if a person eats when they are bored, anxious, angry, tired or sad, is it wrong?
Consulting psychologist:In itself, this is neither good nor bad: food is subconsciously associated with safety. For a newborn baby, food is not only food, but closeness to the mother, appeasement, trust, acceptance, love, communication. Adults also sometimes eat to calm themselves down. It's bad when it's the only way to deal with anxiety or fear.
Psychiatrist: With food, we meet different psychological needs. For example, having dinner with your family is an intimacy. Dining out with friends ends the need for social interaction. The problem arises when food becomes a crutch for our negative experiences. This brings us to the subject of an eating disorder (EID) or eating disorder. Psychiatry deals with these problems.
Wait wait! Turns out if I eat a chocolate bar after work hours and feel guilty, is that already a disorder? Should I go directly to the psychiatrist?
Practicing psychologist:A complicated problem. There are situations when a person eats on the go, chaotically, not paying attention to what they are eating. Or he eats when he's not really hungry - out of boredom or for company. It may simply be an eating disorder that can be corrected with a nutritionist. But, at the same time, eating out of hunger is one of the symptoms of RIP. The line is very fine. And only a doctor can tell. In our country, a psychiatrist takes care of this.
Endocrinologist:It happens that a person is constantly sad, worried, tired - and takes hold of these problems. Perhaps this is the result of constant stress. But they are also symptoms of endogenous depression and anxiety neurosis. A psychiatrist is also involved in the diagnosis of such conditions.
But isn't it ERP - Bulimia and Anorexia? Symptoms are hard to confuse
Psychiatrist: It's not just bulimia and anorexia. Eating disorders also include psychogenic overeating (also called paroxysmal or compulsive), consumption of inedible foods (Pick's disease), and psychogenic loss of appetite. These are disorders included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). However, there are disorders that are not on this list, but also attract the attention of psychiatry: selective eating disorder, orthorexia (when the desire for a healthy lifestyle crosses all borders) andpregorexia (the strictest restrictive diet for pregnant women).
Practicing psychologist: Psychology also distinguishes overeating syndrome (BOE): when a person eats almost nothing all day long, cannot sleep for long, or often wakes up and, upon waking up, goes to the refrigerator.
Is obesity also an LES?
Psychiatrist: Not always. There can be many reasons - these are genetics, a sedentary lifestyle, and hormonal disturbances. It is not possible to equate PPR with obesity.
Practicing psychologist: Yes I agree. There are obese people who have absolutely healthy eating habits. And it happens the other way around - for example, patients with anorexia nervosa.
Heard that the PRP problem mainly concerns women, teens and models? It's true?
Psychiatrist:Of course not. The disorder can develop at any age in both men and women. For example, selective eating disorder most often occurs in children - the child eats only certain foods.
Practicing psychologist: Anorexia and bulimia are more common in women. But compulsive overeating - also in men and women. It is therefore impossible to say that the RPP is a purely female problem. And yes, teenagers, models, athletes who play aesthetic sports (rhythmic gymnastics, figure skating, sports dance), TV presenters, bloggers, actresses - all those in sight and whose work depends on appearance are in danger. . But the problem can be beyond anyone, including those far from the business of modeling or beauty blogging.
It is believed that any nutritional problem is an attempt to gain attention. It's true?
Practicing psychologist: There is such an opinion, but it is not scientifically supported. Yes, during therapy it may turn out that the RPP started when the person was not accepted by their peers. For example, for a girl of 13-15 years old, it is important that the boys look at her and that her friends approve, which is why she followed a strict diet. It also happens that eating problems are a child's attempt to get the attention of parents, often unconsciously. But these are quite special cases. It is wrong to think that the need for attention is the main cause of eating disorders.
So what is the reason?
Practicing psychologist: There are three groups of reasons: biological, psychological and social. Biological - for example, a genetic predisposition to CPP - can unfortunately be hereditary. Psychological - domestic violence, prohibition of expressing negative emotions, violation of parent-child attachment (for example, if the child has cold and distant parents). Social - the worship of the ideals of beauty, thinness, intimidation.
PsychiatristA: There are certain personality traits that can contribute to the development of SIA, such as perfectionism or over-responsibility. The peculiarities of eating behavior in the family, attitudes towards weight and figure also affect. The kid could be rewarded with candy for his good behavior and his studies, and it got stuck: since I'm good, you can take a candy. Very well? I'll take ten.
Consulting psychologist:Many patients with ECD have experienced physical or sexual abuse. For many, too, food provides secondary benefits. For example, one of my clients needed weights to protect herself from men. During therapy, we found out that at school age the girl was in an unpleasant situation with an adult man. The client was surprised to remember this: this story seemed "forgotten" but continued to influence the girl's behavior into adulthood. They also revealed the belief that men only like thin people. If so, the extra weight has helped her "be safe" that is, without men.
How common are eating disorders in society?
Psychiatrist: The prevalence of PRC in the world is believed to be around 9%. In risk groups, the prevalence is higher. There are studies of teenage girls that report that by the age of 20, about 13% show symptoms of CRP. Anorexia is one of the fatal mental disorders, ahead of chemical dependence alone.
Practicing psychologist: It is difficult to give exact figures because people with PAD often do not understand at all that they need help. There are numbers for the United States because it is a hub for eating disorders research and statistics: about 30 million people live with eating disorders. There are twice as many women as men (20 million against 10 million). And every hour in the world at least 1 person dies from the consequences of RPE.
What are the symptoms of RPE? Can I diagnose it myself?
Psychiatrist: In general, the main symptoms are as follows:
- A person makes themselves vomit after eating or makes up for what they have eaten by other means, such as excessive physical exertion (physical tyranny), laxatives and diuretics.
- Strong fixation on the weight and the silhouette (you cannot add / lose a single gram or centimeter! ).
- Numerous attempts to reduce weight and body weight oscillation.
- Various many rules in nutrition (I only eat protein, only vegetables, only red).
- Constant thoughts, fears, and feelings of guilt and shame related to food intake and body weight. When thoughts and behaviors related to food bring a lot of suffering.
- Loss of control over the amount consumed.
But many can have such symptoms to varying degrees. Is there a more precise diagnosis?
Endocrinologist:RPD is a chronic systemic disease. It causes metabolic changes in systems and organs, changes in human neurohumoral regulation. It is a complex problem which can manifest itself in neuroses, organic pathologies of the brain, organic lesions and depressive disorders.
But first you need to determine the cause of the symptoms. For example, if a person runs in the refrigerator at night, you need to know the glycogen level in order to rule out insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
What if you realized that you or your loved one has RPP?
Practicing psychologist: If you have - see a psychiatrist for a diagnosis. If you suspect an RPA in a relative, it is more difficult: he often refuses, does not want to admit that something is wrong with him. And unnecessary pressure can break trust. Let your loved one know that you are by their side, ready to help and support them.
Who treats EPD? Only a psychiatrist?
Psychiatrist: Not. A psychiatrist makes a diagnosis. And he treats, according to the disease, a psychiatrist, a psychotherapist, a clinical psychologist (according to the prescription of a psychotherapist). Why is it so important to see a psychiatrist in the first place? Because it can reveal comorbid conditions such as depression or anxiety disorders, which are found in about 80% of cases in people with RPD. Treatment depends on the severity of the disease. It may be pharmacotherapy in combination with psychotherapy (group, cognitive-behavioral, behavioral dialectic). Family therapy is also recommended.
Consulting psychologist:Anorexia and bulimia are treated primarily by a psychiatrist. Emotional overeating - psychologist, counseling psychologist. Obesity - a nutritionist-endocrinologist (you need to check hormones, if the metabolism is disturbed) with a psychologist or psychotherapists.